1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fever reduction, and particularly to a cooling system for patients with fever which operates via fluid-based thermal transfer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fever, also known as pyrexia and febrile response, is most accurately characterized as a temporary elevation in the body's thermoregulatory set-point, causing typical body temperature to rise. A body temperature at or above 37.5° C. is typically indicative of a fever. The increase in thermoregulatory set-point triggers increased muscle contraction and causes a feeling of cold in the patient despite an increased body temperature. This results in greater heat production and efforts to conserve heat. When the set-point temperature returns to normal, a person feels hot, becomes flushed, and may begin to sweat.
Non-medicinal treatments for fever include placing a cool, damp cloth on the forehead and taking a lukewarm bath. Additionally, medications, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol, may be effective at lowering the temperature.
With regard to the non-medicinal treatments, the temperature of a cooling cloth is difficult to regulate and requires the water to be constantly changed. The same issues relate to the bath. With regard to medicinal treatments, overuse of analgesics such as ibuprofen have been shown to potentially lead to nausea, dyspepsia, gastrointestinal ulceration/bleeding, raised liver enzymes, diarrhea, constipation, nosebleed, headache, dizziness, rash, salt and fluid retention, and hypertension. Thus, a cooling system for patients with fever solving the aforementioned problems is desired.